Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-09-11

clts anu nleeulDR hearts. Wy nus
bands six wives never had the slightest
outward disagreement. At times there
may have been petty jealousies or i'll
feeling, but we kept quiet and sup
pressed our emotions for day or two
and things soon righted themselves OF
their own accord.
81, however, am of the number OF
Mormon women who do not believe in
wives living together on account
Of sentiment, but on account OF the
children. One wife may be very lenient
with her children, and another wife
very strict with hers; you can easily
see that TIE influence of the strict
mothers teachings will be lost or coun-
torbalsnced by the example of the other
children. | may be opposed to hay-
lrg ny daughter so 10 pronlscuous
social gatherings, but If she sees the
other girls going she may become re.
bellious. Beyond this there is never
any annoyance in wives living together.
They eat at the same table and use the
same sitting room, and their children
g1ow up 10 love each other as strongly
as If they were own brothers and SIS
tiers. They call their mother mother
and the other wives aunls. They are
assembled for morning and evening
prayers, and IN the matter OF dress,
education, and amusement they are all
treated exactly alike. OF course, |
know the outside world imagines that
when one polygamic wife gets
NEW BONNET
or new dress all must get one. This
is not so. 1t never was SO. Bonnets
ana clothing are supplied only when
and where they are needed. IL does
not follow that because | need bonnet
and got it that all the other wives will
one. We are, or / should say we were,
supplied according to our immediate
needs. Some wives have Jared better
than others simply because they had
the check to get If. Ann Eliza got
more than her share from Brigham
Young's steward because she made the
steward give her more. So with other
women IN other families. They bull
doze somebody for more than their
share.
"Our husband had a store-house on
one of his premises in which supplies
of all kinds we're kept. Sugar, coffee,
dry goods, ETC., were purchased by
Wholesale and stored here. Sometimes
Brigham Young and the head men of
the Church bought out somebody's en-
tire stock and turned 1t into their Sterc.
houses. Our husband devoted q great
deal Of his time to the Church, and he
had a clerk who attended to his cor
resrOndencc and other business, and
who kept the accounts for each family
sort Of steward, you know. We had
our provisions and clothing given to
us from the stOiehouse, so much each
month (; but We were not limited; We
could overdraw the allowance If we
needed to- Then We could run up bills
in the millinery and dry-goods stores
round town, and some of the wives ran
up pretty big bills, and those that did
not run up 50 much got Just as great
llame as those that did When money
became plentier in Utah the stOreh0use
was done away with aud our husbands
gave rs money to run our separate
houses. The wife with most children
got most money. | can't say howmuch
he allowed ms, but it was ample. 1t
is not easy 10 reduce this principle
Of ours to dollars aud cents. Some
times We have more than We have at
other times. If young Mormon with
two wives were getting Sl2j month,
he would probably allow each wife So
month. Tie might not set more than
800 or so q month, and still be able 10
support two wives, for many of our
younR men viii not depend upon their
salaries merely; they have investments
in fyc-acre tracts, and raise hay and
grain by which they add TO their in
cone. The polysamist husband begins
by deciding the house or houses Ia
which they live to his wives, SO that in
fact he owns nothing and then sets to
work seriously TO support them. How
much time he will spend with eachwife
will depend upon Encouragement they
make together.